Pollution of groundwater by a variety of contaminants is an important concern. As industry and development of land continues to expand, the potential for contamination increases. Although a variety of precautions may be undertaken to prevent or contain pollutants, it is virtually inevitable that contaminants of some sort will eventually reach an area of groundwater. Therefore, there is a need for an effective method of remediating contaminated groundwater.
Although many technologies have been created to address this problem, the present invention is concerned with utilizing natural crops, and more specifically plantings of trees, to perform remediation. The use of trees in the remediation of groundwater has been used in the past. However, a primary difficulty with such a method is the slow growth rate of the trees. The present invention discloses a method of accelerating the growth of trees planted for the purpose of groundwater remediation.
In a typical remediation process, which utilizes trees, the trees are often planted in dense rows, and at a depth such that the roots are in communication with subsurface groundwater. The present invention contemplates a watering system, whereby one or more trenches are placed in the ground in the area of the tree plantings. A conduit is then placed in each trench for supplying nutrients and water to the soil and roots of the trees in the planting area, thereby creating a wetting zone, which is beneficial to root growth.